NextFin news, North Korea officially declared on Monday that its status as a nuclear-armed state is irreversible and permanently enshrined in the country's highest law, according to statements from its permanent mission to the United Nations and international organizations in Vienna.
The announcement came amid North Korea's condemnation of the United States for repeatedly raising the issue of denuclearization at recent international forums, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board meeting held in Vienna.
In a press release carried by the Korean Central News Agency and reported by South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, North Korea denounced the U.S. for what it called "serious political provocations" and reaffirmed its firm opposition to any attempts to change its nuclear status.
"The position of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as a nuclear-armed state, permanently fixed in the supreme and fundamental law of the state, has become irreversible," the statement said, emphasizing that Pyongyang will comprehensively oppose and reject any efforts to alter this status.
The North Korean mission criticized the U.S. for labeling its nuclear arsenal as "illegal" while accusing Washington of undermining the international nuclear non-proliferation regime through its own nuclear weapons enhancement.
Earlier this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a research institute that developed a high-thrust solid-fuel engine intended for the next-generation Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile, signaling ongoing advancements in the country's nuclear weapons program.
The declaration coincides with North Korea's continued development of nuclear and conventional military capabilities, despite offers for dialogue from the United States and South Korea.
According to a statement from North Korea's permanent mission in Vienna, the U.S. reiterated its commitment to North Korea's complete denuclearization during the recent IAEA board meeting. North Korea responded by condemning these remarks as anachronistic and hostile, asserting that Washington's policy aims to abolish its constitutional and institutional framework and that coexistence with North Korea is not intended.
North Korea further accused the U.S. of being the greatest threat to international security by destabilizing the nuclear non-proliferation system and called on the U.S. to fulfill its nuclear disarmament obligations sincerely, including halting nuclear sharing with non-nuclear states and technology transfers related to nuclear-powered submarines.
The North Korean mission also stated that the IAEA has no legal or moral authority to interfere in the internal affairs of nuclear-armed states outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
This announcement was reported by multiple international news agencies including Reuters, Yonhap News Agency, and the Korean Central News Agency on Monday, September 15, 2025, in Vienna, Austria.
Explore more exclusive insights at nextfin.ai.